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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. swing — in golf
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. toast — bread
  10. press — a publisher
  11. object — an aim
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. swing — music
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. object — a thing
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bark — to shout
  22. object — to protest
  23. press — to push
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com